This week hundreds of pro-immigrant observers shouted “Yes we can!” as House Democrats in Washington passed legislation to protect Dreamers. Democrats voted to provide a path to citizenship for roughly 2.5 million young people brought to the U.S. as children.
“The Dream and Promise Act is exactly the kind of bipartisan, common-sense legislation we need as part of any effort to fix our broken immigration system,” said Rep. Colin Allred of Dallas in a statement. “This bill provides young people, many of whom came here through no fault of their own, a pathway to fully contribute to society and live their version of the American dream.”
Passage of legislation for Dreamers is historic, an example of the muscle the lower chamber has been flexing since January when dozens of new Democrats took office and put an end to Trump’s rubber-stamp Congress.
The bill now heads to the GOP-dominated U.S. Senate, where it faces an uphill climb.
“If conservatives truly are the party of family values, they will support Dream and Promise Act to ensure millions of families remain together in the safety of the United States,” said Cristina Tzintzún Ramírez, founder and executive director of Texas-based Jolt.
“Not surprisingly, immigration will be a key issue during the 2020 election and top-of-mind for many Latino voters in Texas,” added Tzintzún Ramírez. “We are living in the epicenter of the immigration crisis.”
House Democrats have worked to roll back changes made by Trump and to prevent the president from ripping up basic American values.
Last month, they passed a sweeping civil rights bill that guarantees protections for LGBTQ individuals. Before that, they voted to protect people with pre-existing conditions who may lose coverage if Obamacare were repealed.
